by Phil Price
“Isn’t that what they say? Or is it over and out?”
“Doesn’t matter, sweetie,” Sarah said. That was great. If someone, somewhere hears it, they’ll flush it up the system. We just need to sit tight.”
“That’s all we can do,” Gemma said. “Sit tight and enjoy the scenery.”
Thirty-Three
“Where are they heading?” Hameda said. The solar system around them had become a featureless void, only a bright star on the horizon offering them any vista. They had passed a large, red planet some hours before, marvelling at the striking features it offered before they ploughed on, chasing their quarry.
“No idea,” said Zowie. “We are flying blind. I have no idea what is in this system. There are three planets out there, millions of miles away from us. They look too close to the main star to be habitable.”
Ullar stood next to the door, a resigned look on her face. “Hameda. We’ve lost. There is no way back from this.”
“Ullar,” she said, feeling like she’d been punched in the stomach. “How can you say that? We’re on the brink of a new order. Finally bringing peace to the systems.”
“You heard what the man said. We’re on the other side of the universe. There is no way our ship can return unless you force them to repeat what they’ve just done. And they won’t do that. If we destroy them, it will be for nothing.”
“I can’t believe I am hearing this. From you of all people!”
“Look around. Where are we? Nowhere. We’ve lost. Most of our ships were destroyed. The Lomogs and Biflex will rally themselves. They will restore their own order.”
Hameda walked over to the other woman, a look of desolation etched across her face. “My dear Ullar,” she said. “If you truly believe that, then I have no place for you.” Ullar’s eyes opened in shock as the older woman sank a blade into her chest, leaving it embedded to the hilt. She opened the cockpit door, motioning to the two guards who stood nonchalantly outside. “Put her in the airlock,” she said defiantly. “I have no room on this ship for traitors.” Two figures came through the door, dragging Ullar out of the cockpit into the corridor that led to the rear of the freighter. Hameda turned to Zowie. “Catch them. Whatever it takes. Catch that bastard ship.”
“As you wish, Hameda,” he replied, sweat trickling down his back, his hands shaking.
The two guards dragged Ullar easily towards the rear of the ship, flinging her into the wall next to the rear airlock. One aimed a kick at her jaw, snapping her head back into the wall, sending a few teeth skittering across the floor. One grabbed her breast, tightening his grip until Ullar cried out in anguish, not able to fend off the assault. They spoke in a language the dying woman didn’t understand. They were not quite humanoid, their skin reptilian, with livid purple scales adorning their flesh. They both kicked her in turn, slapping her across the face with dry, calloused hands. The larger of the two reached down, grabbing her hair, twisting it in between his digits, making her cry out in pain once more as blood dripped from her mouth. The other sneered, aiming a kick between her legs that she managed to deflect with her thigh. The impact was ferocious enough to make her slip sideways onto the floor, retching in agony. They spat at her, issuing curses, their laughter echoing off the walls. Satisfied with their abuse, the guards walked a dozen paces towards the end of the corridor, a series of beeps and buzzers ringing out across the corridor. Through her fuzzy vision, Ullar could see that they were having trouble activating the inner doors, an argument brewing as one became frustrated with the other. She managed to drag herself into a sitting position, blood oozing from the blade still embedded in her chest. Every movement sent shockwaves of pain through her body, nausea hitting Ullar in waves, her vision blurry. She tried to take stock of her situation, her eyes falling on the door across the corridor. It was not marked, but she knew what lay inside. The bomb, she thought, peering back at the squabbling guards. As quietly as she could, she shuffled across the walkway, carefully opening the door into the darkened space beyond. The door clicked shut, Ullar knowing that she had mere seconds before they’d realise she was gone. The dark room was empty, save for a table in the centre. A table that supported a large cylindrically shaped device. On the other side of the door, she heard the arguing stop, a momentary pause as the guards realised they had been given the slip. Angry incomprehensible voices drew nearer, Ullar flailing across the room until she collided with the warhead. “I love you, Ragyi. See you on the other side,” the woman said as she activated the countdown, four strong scaly hands dragging her back out into the corridor a split-second after. She landed in the airlock painfully, the goons smiling at her from the other side of the glass, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Ullar closed her eyes for the last time, waiting for the blackness of death.
Hameda sat in the chair, looking out as the cosmos sped past the cockpit windows. “What’s taking them so long? she said, suddenly concerned.
“The airlock has not been activated yet,” Zowie said, his brow knitting in confusion.
“They’ve been gone ten minutes. How long does it take?”
“Not that long,” he countered.
Fear gripped Hameda as she levered herself out of the chair. “I’m going to see what they are playing at,” she said, leaving the cockpit, heading towards the airlock. A few minutes later she came across them, her stride quickening as they closed the inner airlock behind them. She could hear them laughing, clearly enjoying their task. “What’s taking you so long?” she said, peering through the airlock at Ullar. She looked serene, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping. Hameda looked behind her, noticing the door hanging open. Her insides constricted, a cold feeling washing over her as a faint beeping noise drifted through the doorway. “Oh no,” she uttered as her vision exploded into a thousand Supernovae.
“Skipper. Explosion. Behind us,” Rex stated urgently.
“How far?”
“Several thousand miles,” the pilot replied, activating the rear camera. They crowded around the screen, watching as a ball of light lit the solar system, a silent aurora fanning out across the blackness of space.
“The ship has disappeared off the radar, skipper. I think it blew up.”
“How?” Torben said edgily.
“I don’t know. Malfunction maybe.”
“Keep our velocity at this speed. I’m not taking any chances, Rex.”
“Okay.”
“How long until we reach Earth?”
“Twelve hours. I will need to slow before we reach the planet.”
“Okay. Keep an eye out for our friends. Let us hope that the ship malfunctioned and that we are in the clear.” He looked at Kyra. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I am hoping that you’re both right. Maybe something went wrong on the ship.”
They headed out of the cockpit, walking slowly back to Torben’s quarters. Once inside, they collapsed onto the bunk, the man pulling the sheet over them. They lay there, feeling each other’s heartbeat along with the steady thrum of the ion drive. It settled them gradually, Kyra falling asleep first. He succumbed to sleep quickly, all thoughts of death and destruction falling away into the blanket of space.
Thirty-Four
Earth
“Paul, you need to hear this,” Hendry said as he bustled into the office, iPad in hand. Paul looked up, his eyes bleary, his chin dotted with grey stubble. He’d slept on the sofa the night before after a confrontation with his wife. Fireworks had ensued, Paul stating flatly that their marriage was over. He’d left the house at the crack of dawn, not bothering to shower or change his clothes. Fortunately, he kept a toothbrush and aftershave in his desk and was able to freshen up somewhat before the throng of staff arrived at GCHQ.
“What is it?” he said, his throat dry.
Hendry caught sight of his features, slowing down his stride. “Jesus! You look like shit. Did you sleep here?”
“Long story. Anyway, enough about me. What have you got?”
&nb
sp; Hendry bustled over, swiping his tablet a few times. “This.”
“Err, hello. This is Caroline Dixon. I was abducted from Belbroughton a few weeks ago. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I am on the ship that took us, heading back towards Earth. We are in trouble and need your help. Please respond, over.”
“What the fuck! Are you winding me up?”
“No. It came through a few hours ago. Chinese satellites picked it up first, then the NSA. It appears genuine, the signal did not come from Earth. Our guys are trying to triangulate a position as we speak.”
Paul looked at the clock on the wall. Almost nine. He was about to speak when his desk phone chirped into life. “Karen,” he said. Paul listened for a few seconds before replying. “Yes, I’ve just heard the message…. Okay. We’re on our way up.” He turned to John. “The boss is calling a meeting. I will see you up there.” Paul waited a minute, opening his drawer before spraying some more aftershave onto his neck. He straightened his tie, walking over to the mirror to check his reflection. God. I look like death warmed up, he thought, knowing that a quick trip to the bathroom was needed.
The office door opened, Sylvia peering through. “Good morning, Paul. What’s going on? The place has gone mental.”
He walked across to his desk, donning his grey suit jacket. “It looks like our abductees have been found.”
“Really? Oh, that’s good news. Where are they?”
“Heading towards Earth. On a spacecraft.”
Sylvia checked herself, looking at Paul, her expression blank. “What?”
“Keep it under wraps for now. I will update you when I get out of the meeting, whenever that will be.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, standing before him.
“And if you’re still up for that coffee, we should put a date in the diary?”
“Really?” she said, her expression brightening.
“Yes, really,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “It’s time I started living my life again.” He walked passed Sylvia, his aftershave enveloping her as she heard his footsteps receding out of the office. The woman turned, hanging her coat in the outer office before heading out to get her first coffee of the day.
“I reduced velocity an hour ago. We’re approaching Earth’s moon,” Rex stated, holding a steaming cup of graff in his green paw.
Kyra and Torben looked at the blue planet on the horizon, marvelling at its vivid colour, tendrils of white cloud wrapping themselves around its equator. “Kyra, could you ask Caroline and her friends to join us please?” Torben said.
“Okay, skipper,” she replied, smiling.
He grinned at her as she walked out of the cockpit. Torben turned to Rex. “How long until we get there?”
“Less than an hour. Coordinates are locked.”
“Great,” he said, sitting down next to the hominid.
“Do you want some graff?” Rex asked.
“I’d love some,” he replied, his throat scratchy. “Any news on the other ship?”
“Nothing. We’d have seen them by now, skipper. I think they are long gone,” he replied, before leaving Torben at the controls of his ship.
Rex returned minutes later, flanked by four females. “I brought enough for all of us,” he said cheerfully, handing them out to Kyra, Caroline, Gemma and Sarah. They all thanked him, crowding inside the confines of the cockpit.
“Thank you, Rex,” Torben said, taking a tentative sip of the herby concoction. “Perfect. Now, how do you want to do this?” he asked the three humans.
“How do you mean?” Caroline asked quizzically.
“It’s daylight on your side of the planet. We can drop a cloak over us. No one would see us approach or land. It might make things run a little smoother that way.”
They pondered for a moment, Caroline clearing her throat. “Do that then. But can you remove the cloak when you actually land?”
“I suppose so, why?”
“Because our governments will try to cover this up. If people see the ship and take pictures and videos, it will be hard to deny it.” She looked at the other two. “Do you agree?”
“Hell yes!” Gemma said. “It may cause a commotion at first. But UFOs and aliens have been covered up for too long. It’s time the world knew the truth.”
“I’m with you both,” Sarah said. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay, Rex, initiate cloak.”
“Initiated,” he said with a flick of his wrist.
“Damn,” Sarah said. “I miss my phone. Imagine that as your profile pic,” she said, nodding towards Earth.
“It sure is a sight to behold,” Caroline said. “God. All I want is a bacon butty and a cup of real tea. The rest can come later.”
“A hot shower,” Sarah said. “And a latte.”
“A cuddle with my boys. And Hugh of course,” Gemma replied, her eyes misting over.
“Ahh, hun,” Caroline said. “They’ll all be having plenty of cuddles soon. They’ll have to prize you off them.”
“Bring it on!”
Caroline looked at Torben and Kyra. “What will you do, once you’ve dropped us off?”
“Well, it’s probably wise that we don’t hang around. I am sure there would be many Earthlings who would like to ask us questions, and probably seize our ship. I’m sure we would not be allowed to leave your planet. So, as soon as your feet touch ground we will head off.”
“Where?”
“Back to Biflux. We need to see what has happened. Hameda is no more, the resistance looks to have been wiped out on Lundell. Maybe we can piece it all back together again?”
“Let’s hope you can,” Gemma said. She stepped across to Torben, kissing him on the cheek. “We do not blame you for what has happened. You were following orders. Once we’re back on Earth and can tell our story, we will make sure everyone knows that.”
“Thank you,” the captain replied, feeling humbled. “Could one of you please let your people know what we’re about to do? Once we’re ready to land, we will need them off the ship as fast as possible.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, heading for the door.
“Good idea. As soon as someone sees the ship, our air force will have planes in the air. But that will probably a while to organise. I’m sure you’ll be heading home by that point.” Gemma said reassuringly.
“Let’s hope so,” Kyra replied, linking hands with Torben.
Twenty minutes later, Sarah reappeared in the cockpit, her hair and makeup looking like she was ready for a night out. She smiled feebly at the other two. “I need to look my best if people are going to start snapping my picture.”
Gemma and Caroline smiled. “I see your logic,” the Welsh woman said. “I look like Worzel Gummidge, but who cares.” Kyra and Torben exchanged a confused glance, not understanding the reference. But it did not matter. They were happy that their passengers were about to return home, to their loved ones. They knew that it had come at a price. People had died on Valkash, Torben and Kyra knowing full well the gravity of the situation. It would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
“The villagers are ready.”
“Are they okay?” Caroline asked.
“Most of them are over the moon. Martin just stared at me. Kimberley too. I guess it doesn’t really mean as much to them?” The cockpit fell silent, the words hanging in the air for all to digest.
“Rex,” Torben said, breaking the spell. “Are we in position?”
“Coordinates are locked. Shall we descend, skipper?”
“Let’s do this.”
They all watched as they dropped into Earth’s atmosphere, the three humans gazing in amazement as the vista opened up before them. “Oh my god!” Gemma said. “To think, I’d never even been on a plane before. That view is just spectacular.”
“Isn’t it just,” Sarah said, her eyes taking in the spectacle unfolding before them. They dropped lower, the United Kingdom filling their view, the cloudless sky offering them an uninterrupted view of their home
country.
“Perfect weather,” Caroline said, to no one in particular.
“You have a beautiful home,” Kyra said, squeezing Caroline’s arm. “Such vivid colours. I am happy that you are all returning home.”
“Thanks to you,” Caroline said, smiling warmly. The green expanse of England filled the cockpit window, the network of roads and fields a welcome sight for its inhabitants.
“5,000 feet,” Rex said, gently coaxing the controls, the invisible ship falling almost silently towards the small village of Belbroughton.
Torben pressed a button on the console. “This is Captain Fraken. Please move all villagers to the main ramp. We are ready to land. Rex. We’re going to unload the passengers. I will be back in a few minutes. Remember. Remove the cloak just before we touch down.”
“Yes, Captain,” he replied happily, enjoying the landscape that the lush planet offered up to him.
“This way,” Torben said, heading out of the cockpit. They walked steadily towards the outer door, Kyra pressing a button on the wall that made two white panels slide silently across, revealing the exit ramp. They stood there for a minute, waiting for the ship to land. Villagers began moving down the corridor towards them. Many were crying, tears of happiness falling freely. Others shuffled along, a low murmur building amongst them. Martin and Kimberly were holding onto each other, desolate faces staring straight ahead, their movements stilted.
“Are we really home?” Loz said, smiling at Caroline.
“We are,” she replied, hugging him.
He turned to the villagers. “We’re home guys,” he called, cheers and sighs of relief drifting down towards them.
A minute later the ramp was lowered, green grass a welcome carpet at the bottom of the slope. Caroline, Gemma and Sarah moved to one side, allowing the villagers to head down the ramp into the field beyond. Not many regarded Torben or Kyra except Katie, who smiled warmly before carefully navigating the ramp. “After you,” Torben said, smiling.